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This week's Rare Bird Alert

This is New Hampshire Audubon’s Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, Feb. 5.

A spotted towhee was spotted in Rye on Jan. 25, and has been seen many times since then. It was last reported on Feb. 5. It has been seen foraging on the ground in the scrub on the corner nearest the traffic island at the intersection of Central Road and Route 1A. An eastern towhee was seen in North Hampton on the 1st.

A female king eider was seen from Ocean Avenue in New Castle several times during the past week and was last reported on Feb. 1. It was seen near Fort Constitution, and near Great Island Common. Three gadwall were seen in Rye on Feb. 1.

A thick-billed murre, six razorbills and a male Barrow’s goldeneye were all seen several times at Great Boar’s Head in Hampton during the past week, and three razorbills were seen at Rye Ledge in Rye on Feb. 1.

At least eight snowy owls continued to be reported in New Hampshire during the past week including two along the coast in Rye, 3 in the Hampton and Seabrook marsh areas, one on a rooftop near Elm and Myrtle Streets in Manchester on Feb. 4, one seen in a tree near the Connecticut River in Hinsdale on Jan. 29, and one from North Charlestown on Jan. 30.

A northern shrike was seen in Westmoreland on Jan. 31.

A glaucous gull was seen at Hampton Harbor, from the Seabrook side, on Feb. 3, and one with different plumage was seen at Great Boar’s Head in Hampton on Feb. 1.

An Iceland gull was seen in Hampton Harbor on Jan. 27, and one was seen at the Exeter Wastewater Treatment Plant on Feb. 3.

Fifty snow buntings were seen at Chickering Road in Westmoreland on Feb. 1, and 31 were reported from the area of the Wilder Dam in Lebanon on Jan. 31.

Fifteen purple sandpipers were seen off of Little Boar’s Head in North Hampton on Feb. 1.

This information is also available by phone recording: call 224-9909 and press 2 as directed or ask to be transferred. If you have seen any interesting birds recently, you can leave a message at the end of the recording or send your sightings to the RBA via e-mail at: birdsetc@nhaudubon.org. Please put either “bird sighting” or “Rare Bird Alert” in the subject line and be sure to include your mailing address and phone number. The RBA is also available on-line at the New Hampshire Audubon web site, www.nhaudubon.org.